


Puppy love

by kagme



Series: Every reality with you [5]
Category: Twosetviolin, Video Blogging RPF, twoset violin
Genre: Allergies, Dogs, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Friendship, I’ve never written anything that fluffy, M/M, SO MUCH FLUFF, Sharing a Bed, TwoSet with a puppy, despite writing a lot of fluff already, that’s it, that’s the fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:01:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26003866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kagme/pseuds/kagme
Summary: “Brett… When I saidsteal the dog, andI’m serious, I hope you know I really wasn’t.”“I know,” he rolled his eyes.His best friend raised his eyebrow, arms crossed, and Brett had to admit, his answer would have had more credibility, if the puppy wasn’t presently sniffing under their kitchen table, on which the two bubble teas rested, momentarily forgotten.
Relationships: Eddy Chen & Brett Yang, Eddy Chen/Brett Yang
Series: Every reality with you [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2081190
Comments: 30
Kudos: 138





	1. Looping

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into 中文-普通话 國語 available: [【授权翻译】Puppy love](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26151937) by [Jonnayoly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jonnayoly/pseuds/Jonnayoly)



> Here is a very very very fluffy piece, pure indulgence, a welcome reprieve from MeloMania’s intensity. I wrote this in one go, and Ria just finished beta reading me (send her love, she’s brilliant).
> 
> My best friend just came back from work with two bubble teas from my favorite place this evening, so I’m in a very good mood :)
> 
> This fic is what the title says. TwoSet, love and a dog. No lies there. 
> 
> Enjoy the fluff.

**Puppy Love**

  
  
  


He was used to the constant glances. To the looking, to the begging for attention, to the neediness, to the random bursts of energy, to the clinging. 

It hadn’t occurred to him - despite having spent half of his life with him - how much of a puppy his best friend was, until he had an element of comparison.

*

Brett wasn’t as weak to cute things as Eddy was, but he didn’t have a heart of stone.

Sweat was gathering at the back of his neck, and he could feel the sun hitting every inch of unprotected skin, despite evening creeping on the city, his breath fogging his glasses from under the mask. Singaporean streets weren’t as busy as usual with the virus still going around, and he looked down with a blink. 

The fluffy brown and white little thing pawing at his leg was wagging its tail, tongue lolling to the side, and he bent to scratch it behind one of its long, curly ears. The dog leaned against his hand, bringing a smile to his lips. He could already hear in his mind Eddy cooing at how adorable this was, and snorted.

He got his phone out with his free hand, struggling with the plastic bag containing their drinks - the dog nudged him for more petting as soon as he stopped - and snapped a picture during the miraculous second the puppy stayed still enough for it not to be blurry.

  
  


> **Eddy**
> 
> “bro u should have come with me for the bb tea”
> 
> “u missed out”
> 
> “OMFG this is too cute!!! Steal it!!”
> 
> “lol”
> 
> “I’m serious!!”

*

“Brett… When I said _steal the dog,_ and _I’m serious_ , I hope you know I really wasn’t.”

“I know,” he rolled his eyes.

His best friend raised his eyebrow, arms crossed, and Brett had to admit, his answer would have had more credibility, if the puppy wasn’t presently sniffing under their kitchen table, on which the two bubble teas rested, momentarily forgotten. 

“I didn’t steal it, it was lost, and had no collar.”

“Nobody would abandon a dog that cute,” Eddy kneeled on the floor and the puppy instantly waggled to him and cuddled his leg.

“I never said it was abandoned, but the little guy is so friendly it came to say hello and its owner must not have noticed it wasn’t following them anymore,” he replied as he saw his best friend check its neck for a name tag then its ear for a tattoo. “Hey, don’t bother dude, it must be chipped.”

“Yeah you’re right, let’s call a vet and see when we can bring it to read the chip.” Eddy grabbed the dog and raised it at eyes’ level, his hand getting licked as a reward for his effort. “I think it’s a she.”

“Yeah?”

Brett sat next to his friend on the floor and stared at the pink belly.

Yup. No dick.

He grabbed his phone and looked up the closest open clinic around them, pressing the number on the screen and putting the speaker on as soon as he heard the dial. A feminine voice answered them and as he spoke with her, he spied Eddy playing with the dog, progressively losing interest in the conversation with the veterinarian’s secretary as he started baby talking to her. Brett chuckled and turned off the speaker, pressing the phone against his ear to prevent his friend from the embarrassment of being overheard. The clinic was about to close, she was explaining to him, and since it wasn’t an emergency, maybe they could find a time tomorrow.

They were still both sitting on the floor, and he noticed Eddy was leaning more and more against him, until Brett was almost carrying his weight. He rolled his eyes and pushed him back, biting his lips hard to keep in the laugh that threatened to deafen the secretary when Eddy squeaked as he fell on his back, the puppy barking and climbing on his stomach to lick his face.

“No, no, get off. Ugh, not my nose,” he pushed her back and she didn’t even wait a whole second before dodging his hand and attacking him again, her furry paws tickling him and he started shrieking.

Brett lost it and burst out laughing.

“Oh, no- no, so- sorry,” he apologized to the offended woman on the other side of the phone in between cracks of hilarity. “It’s not you- it’s my friend and the dog- they just did something funny and- well, anyway. Tomorrow morning is that it?“ He turned to Eddy who had managed to stop the vicious tickle attack of the less than five kilogram dog by grabbing her by the scruff of her neck, and nudged his still lying form with his feet. “Bro, nine or eleven tomorrow?”

He snorted. “Is that even a question? Eleven.”

“Eleven a.m. it is then,” he replied to the secretary. “See you tomorrow, thank you for your time.”

He put the phone down and observed his best friend sitting up, still holding the uncaring puppy by the skin of her neck with one hand and admonishing her for the tickling.

He realized too late the smile on his lips was writing love on his face with bold letters.

Then Eddy started sneezing.

“Oh, fuck, dude! Your allergies, I completely forgot!”

“Nah, it’s-” a sneeze. “It’s fin-” another one. “I’m-” the last one was so strong he almost dropped the puppy still wagging her tail, unconscious of the havoc she was wreaking on Eddy’s body.

He put her back on the floor and stumbled up to fetch some tissue and his meds, face red and tears gathering in his eyes.

Guilt started pooling low in Brett’s stomach, battling his amusement.

“Shit man, I’m sorry. I really didn’t think about this before bringing it- her. I can take her to the vet right now, she can spend the night there and we just have to go back tomorrow- or I mean, I can go back, you don’t have to come with me.”

The puppy started to run behind Eddy and Brett grabbed her before she could inflict any more damage on him. She started licking his fingers with enthusiasm and he didn’t know whether to find it disgusting or adorable.

“Nah, it’s okay bro,” he heard from the living room. “I’ll be fine for one day, I won’t let a puppy slee-” he sneezed. “Sleep in a cage in a cold clinic just because of some-” and again. “Some stupid allergy.”

Eddy came back into the kitchen, face still red and blowing his nose. He stopped midway and blinked at him. Brett frowned, wondering if he had something on his face, his hand unconsciously petting the puppy - the soft fur gliding through his fingers was hypnotic. He grabbed his bubble tea and downed his allergy meds with a gulp of the drink, still staring.

“You look so cute with that fluffy ball in your arm,” Eddy ended up saying with the biggest grin, eyes disappearing into half moons.

Brett had to hide his own smile behind the dog.

*

It started with the personal space invasion.

The couch at their place in Singapore was large. Large enough for two grown men and a small dog _not_ to be on top of each other. Yet, Brett somehow found himself squished between the dog leaning her body against his right thigh, uncaring of the computer he was trying to work on, and Eddy’s shoulder progressively putting more pressure on his left one as he was reading what Brett was writing, correcting his spelling and giving word suggestions. Half an hour later, she was curled up on his knees, soft snores escaping her nose, stopping him from finishing the answer to an email about a merch drop, and Eddy’s whole body was plastered to his left side, sniffing the whole time. 

  
  
  
  


As much as he needed space to keep working, he didn’t have the heart to chase them away, and just gave up for the time being, grabbing his phone to scroll through Instagram. Despite the AC, he was trapped warm and cozy between the two other occupants of the apartment.

*

Then there was the begging for food.

Bubble tea had staved off hunger for most of the evening, but it was catching up with a vengeance now, and both their stomachs were growling, the dog blinking her eyes open at the sound. Eddy was whining in his ear about how hungry he was, and she got down from the couch to yap at him. 

“Okay, let’s go get food. If I have to listen to one more complaint or one more bark, I’ll go deaf.”

“Wait. We can’t leave her alone in the apartment,” his best friend realized as they were putting their shoes on.

“Eddy, we still need to get dinner. There’s nothing but snacks in here.”

“Go grab some take out for me?”

“Why are you the one staying inside with her? You’re freaking _allergic_ to this dog.”

“Please? I need to stay to practice the Sibelius anyway.”

Brett pinched his nose and sighed. He was dealing with a three year old.

“Fine. But give me your card, the meal’s on you.”

“Thank you, you’re the best,” Eddy singsonged, easily pushing his wallet in his hand. “Don’t forget to take some meat or something for the dog.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Take a big portion of whatever type of food you end up choosing for me, but nothing too fat. Like chicken or rice.”

“I’ll give you a big plate of mushrooms, you’ll see. And you lady, do you have any preference?” He turned to the pet sitting with a straight back, ignoring his best friend’s disgusted face.

She barked and wagged her tail.

“Duly noted.”

“Don’t steal another puppy!” He heard Eddy yell as the door was closing behind him.

  
  
  
  
  


He came back an hour later to see his friend sprawled on the couch, violin still in its case, the dog curled up on his stomach. His face was red and he kept sneezing, but that didn’t stop him from petting her with gentle hands.

“You’re so fucking stupid.”

* 

The puppy eyes, he should have seen it coming.

They were eating the food he had brought back from an Italian place they had only been to once before, and rewatching Violet Evergarden because Eddy had insisted. Brett had caved in, not really caring about what their evening show was anyway, content to relax and shut off his mind. The one thing he had insisted on was keeping the dog off the couch because rashes had started to appear on Eddy’s skin, on top of the runny nose.

He pushed her down for the fourth time in ten minutes, and she stood up on her hind legs, front paws resting on his knees, eyes boring straight into his soul. The high pitched whining noise coming from her throat was almost louder than the anime. 

“C’moooon, Breeeeeett,” Eddy wailed, and he did not need to have perfect pitch to know he was on the same note as the dog. “Let her up for a little while, it’s too cruel. She’s already separated from her family, the poor thing, we can’t reject her like that.”

“She just wants your food, dude.”

“Nah- okay maybe she wants _some_ food,” he corrected himself after Brett rolled his eyes. “But I’m sure she’s mainly craving love. C’mon, don’t be a dickhead.”

“Eddy!” He grabbed his friend’s arm and poked at a red patch of skin. “ _Allergies!”_

“It’s just for a few minutes. And I won’t die from some rashes. Brettyyyyy,” he stared at him, widening his eyes as much as he could, even adding a pout on top. “And I’ll even try to find time to consult and get a higher dosage for my meds, since you’ve been insisting for forever on that.”

The dog seized his distraction and jumped on his lap with a satisfied look when she wasn’t immediately pushed away.

“Fine,” he relented grudgingly. “If you do die, that’s not on me.”

Eddy beamed and turned his eyes away from him to go back to watching the show, a hand already invading Brett’s personal space to pet the puppy on the head. Relief and emptiness battled each other in his heart as he was freed from the intense gaze.

*

He had always known about the neediness, but this was reaching a new level.

“What the hell are you doing in my room at… oh, holy moly. Fucking three in the morning,” he grumbled, voice rasping over the words as the blurry shape of Eddy stood awkwardly in front of his bed, puppy in his arms.

“She kept scratching at my door, but I can’t have her in my room because she makes me sneeze and I can’t sleep.”

“This is your fault,” he mumbled, struggling to keep his eyes open. “You’ve been giving her bits from your chicken the whole evening, now she thinks you’re her new best friend.”

“Well, that’s impossible,” Eddy whispered. “I only have one best friend.”

“God, it’s too la- too early- too whatever in the night for your cheesiness.”

“So can I be cheesy during the day?” He replied cheekily.

This ripped a laugh from his throat and he shook his head. “Give me the dog, cheesy motherfucker.”

She landed on the mattress with barely any noise, comforter dipping under her paws as she circled the bed, until she settled on the second pillow and rolled herself into a little ball.

But Eddy wasn’t leaving. 

He was still there, standing a few centimeters away from his bed, silent. Without his glasses, Brett couldn’t read his expression, hidden by the shadows, only the tension in his body, and he suddenly felt weirdly vulnerable. He swallowed around nothing, throat a bit too dry, and his finger twitched on top of the duvet.

“What do you want?” His voice didn’t come out as expected, not steady enough, too wired.

“Scoot over,” he heard.

“Eddy, you sleeping with me defeats the whole purpose of giving me the dog,” he managed to answer without a single stutter, over the beating of his heart. 

“I don’t want to be alone. It’s not fair if the two of you are together and I’m alone in my room.”

“You won’t be able to sleep if you stay with us-”

“Please?”

“No.” Eddy’s shoulders dropped at his answer, and Brett’s heart with it. “Alright, listen. This is just for one night. Go back to your room for tonight, and tomorrow, after we bring the dog to the vet and get her back to her owners, I’ll change my sheets so there’s no dog hair on it and you can sleep with me, yeah? You big baby.”

His best friend seemed to ponder on his words and shrugged. “Okay, if I keep sneezing I’ll keep you from sleeping anyway,” Brett exhaled in relief at this. “But give me a hug first.”

“You’re even more needy than a puppy separated from their family. Literally,” he grumbled, pointing to the dog peacefully snoring, before extracting himself from the bed.

The world outside of his sheets was cold and unwelcoming, night biting at his skin and fatigue pulling at his limbs. What he wouldn’t do for him.

Arms sneaked behind his shoulders, pressing him against his best friend’s front, and damn was he a good hugger. All soft, and warm, curling up around him as if trying to swallow him whole. He smelled like sleep and comfort. Firm chest, strong arms and squishy belly. Brett gave back as much as he took, fingers tracing patterns on the back under them, eliciting a shiver or two when they passed over a sensitive spot, nose nudging up at the jaw digging in his face to allow his cheek to rest more comfortably against the neck stretching for him.

He almost drowned in it. Fell back asleep on his feet, exhaustion creeping behind his eyelids as his body was cutting one by one the string holding him up until Eddy was almost carrying him.

“Alright,” he heard against his hair. “Have a good night.”

There was the phantom press of lips against his forehead, his eyes blinking open less than a second as he laid back down on his bed, then nothing.

*

The naked adoration was brought into perspective too. 

He was practicing, using the early hours of the morning to get as much done as possible. Fingers relaxed but warmed up after scales and arpeggios, ready to tackle some actual playing. The dog had followed him to the practice room, curled up at his feet, looking up once in a while whenever he stopped. And now that Bach fell from him smoothly, technique relegated to the back of his head from how often he had played those sonatas, his sound invaded the room and he closed his eyes.

When he opened them, the puppy was rolled against his feet, eyes closed and chest going up and down with her slow breathing, cradled into sleep by the music.

On the other side, sitting against a corner with his comforter wrapped around him and a cup of coffee in his hands, Eddy was blinking around the morning lights, looking up at him in wonder.

  
  


If he showed off more than usual this morning, choosing pieces he maybe didn’t need to work on that much, he decided to put it on the desire to impress the dog.

*

“Oh God! Looping! Thank God you found her!” The woman of forty weeped with a heavy European accent, face buried in the soft fur of her dog. “I don’t know how to thank you, I was so- so worried! My kids have been crying all night for her. My husband and I thought she had been stolen.”

“She’s cute enough that we might have kept her if I hadn’t been allergic,” Eddy joked as he came back from the kitchen with a cup of tea for the owner. “How old is she?”

“Four years old.”

“Four?!” Brett felt his eyes widen. “How can she be four? She looks barely a few months old, she’s so small!”

The woman laughed as she accepted the cup of tea with the hand that wasn’t holding Looping.

“Some stay babies all their life, no matter how old they get,” she chuckled with a fond glance at her dog.

Brett’s eyes darted at Eddy and he had to press his lips together to hold off a smile.

“Yeah. I know what you mean.”

*

“I actually miss the dog,” Eddy whispered, snuggled under the freshly changed sheets, body turned toward him.

“I still feel betrayed she isn’t a puppy,” Brett snorted, eyes on the ceiling.

“Man, I know! I was shook too!” Eddy laughed too loud for the softness of the night. He seemed to realize it and his voice was lower, gentler as he kept speaking. “Maybe we could get one. I’m sure the fans would love to see us with a pet.”

He sighed and sneaked his hand under the cover until it found his best friend’s arm, bringing it to the soft light of the moon and the stars.

“For someone supposed to be smart, you can be so stupid sometimes. I don't know how I’m supposed to remind you that you are _allergic to pets_ ,” his fingers pressed on a rash as he turned on his side too, facing Eddy. “And anyway, you are enough trouble by yourself, I don’t think I need another puppy to take care of.”

“I can take care of myself.”

“So you say,” he replied with a smirk.

“Hey Brett,” his friend, his best friend, his big baby, his spell checker, his tuner, his business partner, his first admirer, his favorite musician, his everything, the man he had fallen in love with years and years ago whispered.

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

“I know, I love you too.”

“No, I mean it, I really, really love you.”

“How do you know _I_ don’t mean it?”

“You do?”

“I always do.”

Eddy’s arm slid in his grasp, until their fingers intertwined, and his thumb caressed the skin of his hand.

He remembered how hypnotic it had been, the fur of the dog dragging under his fingers. This was ten times worse. This was worse, because the night was curling on them, and nothing existed outside of this bed. Because he could feel Eddy’s callus from the violin catching on his skin. Because dogs didn’t smile, but Eddy did, all soft as his face was closer and closer. Because the glint of possessiveness in the gaze fixed one him found an echo in his chest, awakening sharper feelings buried under years of fondness and friendship.

“I always do,” he repeated, shocked at how true this was, “Fuck. I do.”

There was a hand in his hair, bringing him against his best friend’s chest, a happy chuckle that he felt as well as he heard, arms wrapped around him, and he let himself be swallowed, consumed.

“Why are you laughing?”

“I don’t know. I’m happy you love me, I guess.”

“Don’t pretend you didn’t know,” Brett exhaled around how big his chest felt.

“Hey, I’m me. It’s always a miracle to me that you stuck with me all those years. I must have been no better than that puppy in the beginning.”

“You still are no better.”

“Oi.”

“Doesn’t matter, this isn’t just puppy love.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you go :) I hope you liked it.
> 
> And before you ask, yes, this beautiful little creature is my dog. She’s the best, and always curl up under the piano stool when I play. Thankfully I have no pet allergy, but even if I had I would still have her xD
> 
> Have a good day :) I hope this brought a smile on your face.


	2. Bumble Tea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There was a new tension, a thread between them, taut and tugging whenever they looked at each other. It was weird, because there shouldn’t be. They had said _I love you_ multiple times already, some more heartfelt than others, but all true. They had shared a bed before, hugged and confessed how much they meant to the other. But there was something about the other night that had felt like _more._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey xD did you expect a second part? Well me neither.
> 
> I was unsatisfied was last chapter’s ending, so I wrote this. This was supposed to be very short, like an epilogue, but I got carried away.
> 
> If you would rather read this story as a platonic relationship, stop at the end of last chapter, because this one _isn’t_ platonic. It doesn’t really have a structure, but I just wanted to give them some closure, even if I had no particular plan for this chapter, and I think it shows xD
> 
> Thank you Ria for beta reading this with the speed of light <3

# Bumble Tea

  
  


“They don’t shed! I swear I looked it up. They’re called hypoallergenic breeds.”

“Eddy… I’m not sure this is a good idea,” Brett frowned, but accepted the phone shoved in his face, scrolling down to see the characteristics of the curly haired dog. “I mean, what are we going to do with it when we’re on tour? Why not get a plant if you wanna take care of something?”

He could feel breathing on his cheek, from how close his best friend was, shoulders pressed together. He turned toward him and their glasses almost kissed. He let out a brief chuckle, to cover the fluttering of his heart, because Eddy’s eyes weren’t on the screen - too busy burning into him.

He licked his lower lip, too aware of the focus, of the proximity, of this thing linking them.

There was a new tension, a thread between them, taut and tugging whenever they looked at each other. It was weird, because there shouldn’t be. They had said _I love you_ multiple times already, some more heartfelt than others, but all true. They had shared a bed before, hugged and confessed how much they meant to the other. But there was something about the other night that had felt like _more._

_I really, really love you_ , he could hear in his mind, every time Eddy’s eyes raked over him. And he didn’t know what to do with it. His best friend didn’t either, retreating back into shyness after his brief burst of courage, and he would just sneak glances, let his hands linger, but never said anything about it.

What more could come, after an _I love you?_ What was the next step?

There was Eddy, waiting in the corner of his eye, in the center of his mind, on the right side, and Brett wanted to give him everything. Anything he would ask he would give him. Maybe he would pretend for a little bit, feign reluctance and roll his eyes, just so Eddy wouldn’t notice the answer was always yes, would always be yes, so he could preserve some pride.

But it never happened.

Eddy didn’t ask. Just looked at him.

And it drove him crazy.

“Do you really want it?” he asked around a tight throat. “This isn’t just a whim, right? You’ll commit to it?”

Eddy blinked, eyelids going down, then up again with the speed of a sloth. “Are you talking about the pet?”

“Yeah. Sure.”

“You know me, I’m not like you Brett, I actually think things out before saying them.”

“I think I should be offended.”

“Nah, I like your impulsivity. We would never get anywhere if we were both like me.”

There was a message there. He knew it. An invitation. The flutter in his heart had disappeared, replaced by thundering, his frame almost shaking from it.

_I mean it. I really, really love you_ , he heard again.

It wasn’t night, they weren’t cut away from the rest of the universe, cradled by obscurity, where whispers escaped with more ease, and nothing seemed real. 

It was daylight, the sun hitting the frame of Eddy’s glasses, sparkling in his eyes, and he could see every detail of his skin, the imperfections, the scars, the stray hairs.

He could still see it, in the details of his face; the boy whose growth he had witnessed, the teenager with a mullet and an emo phase, the young man who had helped him when he struggled with his sexuality, so open and accepting of every version of Brett, the adult with whom he had built his job, his music, his life.

Shy, awkward Eddy, stupid, perfect pitch Eddy, annoying, bratty Eddy, smart, funny Eddy.

Just Eddy.

And he felt so full of love, for everything that was encompassed in the man in front of him. _What could come after an I love you?_

They had been staring at each other too long for it to be natural now, too close, too tense. The thread between them tugging and pulling.

So he did what he knew how to do best; he unplugged his brain. And kissed him.

It was so short, he barely had the time to process anything, other than feel a warm press of lips, and hear a shocked intake of breath. A distant part of him marvelled at how easy this was, they had been so close already, he barely had to cover any distance, barely had to do any effort with how naturally they fit.

Then his reason caught up with him, and he panicked. 

“Oh fuck. Fuck I’m- sorry I didn’t mean- I-”

He scrambled away, stammering excuses without any sense, any meaning, refusing to look at his best friend’s face, not hearing his own stutter of - _No- I don’t- I_ \- he backtracked; half-walked, half-ran on trembling legs toward the door of their apartment.

“I’ll go and- huh- get us some food. Just- send the footage from today to Editor-san and- huh. I’ll be back- sorry.”

He closed the door behind him.

How stupid was he?

He had managed to contain his feelings for years. To push them back; ignore and go on. To be happy with what he had, because, truth to be told, he didn’t need anything more from Eddy.

So why the freaking hell did he kiss him now? 

They had danced together, they had slept in the same bed, they had cuddled, and had heartfelt declarations of friendship, they had held hands and played romantic duet together, and there were so many instances which would have been perfect for a kiss.

But a day with a puppy, an _I love you_ that wasn’t even the first, and Eddy’s face a little bit too close to him, in the harsh light of the day, in their filming studio, in the middle of nothing special, he had cracked?

Eddy kept saying he was brave, he was fearless, with adoration in his intonation and wonder in his eyes. He felt anything but strong and fearless, right now. Beating heart and harsh breathing, back against his door. He felt like a coward who couldn’t face the consequences of his feelings. He had always been.

For all his shyness and awkwardness, his best friend had always been more in tune with his feelings, more accepting, more open to vulnerability.

Brett was different. He wanted to be strong, to be dependable, to push away the emotions that would weaken him, to ignore what didn't fit with this idea he had of himself. He had ran away for so long; from the fact that he was in love with his best friend.

He started walking, going down the stairs, outside of the building, into the streets. Then remembered he didn’t have a mask. 

“Fuck.”

He walked back inside the building, feeling like an idiot.

An idiot who had kissed his best friend.

His left hand ran through his hair and a frustrated groan escaped him.

He knew Eddy wouldn’t be angry, he knew it wouldn’t ruin their friendship, it was too strong for something as silly as a kiss or romantic feelings to get in between. But he was so scared.

He sat on the first step of the staircase with a sigh, trying to calm his heart, to get his breathing under control, to rationalize everything, eyes wandering aimlessly over the green letter boxes of the hall, some vomiting ads and mails.

And the phone in his right hand vibrated. He answered by reflex.

“Hello? Mister Chen?” A man said.

“Huh.”

“Is this not the number of Mister Edward Chen?”

He blinked, moving the phone away from his ear. It wasn’t his. 

What a- stupid, stupid Brett. He had ran away with Eddy’s phone still in his possession.

“I- yes. This is his phone indeed, sorry. He’s- he’s busy right now. Who is this? Can I take a message?”

“Oh. This is Happy Paws Kennel, Mister Chen sent a message on our website asking for information about our latest litter-”

“He _what?_ ”

*

“I can’t fucking believe you!” Brett barged inside the apartment, all thoughts of the kiss out of the window.

“Huh- what?” Eddy blinked at him, standing up from the couch where he was curled up.

“You bought a puppy? Without asking me before?”

Eddy’s eyes widened in realization.

“No! No, I didn’t, I swear!”

“Then care to explain why _Happy Paws Kennel_ just called you?” _And what a stupid name_ , he thought privately.

“They did? Oh cool!”

“Eddy!” he snapped.

“Yeah, sorry, sorry. I didn’t buy any pet, I just- I was considering it, and I just looked up info, you know, that website I showed you before you-” he stopped and looked everywhere except at Brett who swallowed, irritation pushed back. “Before you kissed me,” he added very quickly, laughing around it, trying to make it sound a normal thing to say. It didn’t work. “I asked if they had any puppies still available from their last litter. What did they answer?” he cleared his throat.

“I- Huh- I don’t remember.”

The frown on his best friend’s face was so full of disappointment, Brett immediately scrambled his memory, trying to go past the shock and the surprise to remember the actual words of the dog breeder. This whole discussion felt surreal.

“Wait! He said they had, yeah. About two left I think, two females. But I kinda hung up on him so-” Eddy let out a groan laced with frustration, and part of him almost wanted to feel ashamed, before he remembered his best friend had contacted a kennel without talking to him about it. “Hey, don’t be angry at me, I had no idea about the whole thing.”

“I’m not. Angry at you, I mean,” Eddy whispered, and his words seemed heavy, somehow. “Are you?”

“No. Not really, just- surprised and a bit disappointed you didn’t tell me you had actually contacted them. We live together Eddy, if you get a dog, _we_ get a dog.” 

“I know. Sorry.”

“It’s okay. Sorry too.”

“What for?”

“Y’know….” he shrugged, fidgeting with the short sleeve of his t-shirt.

“No, I don’t.”

“Hey, we’re best friends, aren’t we supposed to read each other’s mind or something?” he snorted.

“Brett?” his tone was plaintive, begging for attention, for Brett to look at him. So he did. “Talk to me?”

And when had he ever refused anything to Eddy? So that was it. He would have to say something about his feelings. He would have to tell why he had kissed him. After six years of carefully folding it back inside his heart.

“Sorry. For kissing you.”

“You said that already. Before running away. Without your mask, and with my phone, may I add. Why did you do that?”

“I don’t know. Isn’t it obvious?” he turned his gaze away, the distance between them felt unbearable suddenly. “I love you.”

His heart was between his lips, spilling, and nothing could come in or out of him anymore. Breath stuck in his lungs, words refusing to be supplied.

“No. Why did you run away?”

“Huh- what?”

“Oh God, this whole discussion is so awkward,” Eddy chuckled, nervousness shaking him, fingers raking through his hair. And Brett was so relieved to not be the only flustered one. “It was easier in your bed.”

Brett laughed too, some tension seeping out of him, shoulders relaxing. This was just Eddy. They could work out anything between the two of them.

“Do you want a hug?”

“Yes please.”

Eddy almost tripped as they met in the middle of the room, arms circling around each other, and it felt so familiar, the last of his fear evaporated. The thread between them was still there, pulling them together, but devoid of tension.

“I told you I loved you,” Eddy mumbled in his hair. “Why did you run away after kissing me?”

“I didn’t think you meant it like that.”

“I literally said I meant it. I specifically insisted on it. You’re so stupid.”

“Yeah…”

They both laughed, and it reverberated in their ribcages, vibrations going from one to the other.

He laid his head on his best friend’s chest, enjoying the warmth and the proximity, letting the last of his wild thoughts shut off, lulled by the heartbeat thumping against his ear. It felt like that night, cradled in each other’s arms, not seeing his face, but feeling his heart react. 

“So. Huh. Yeah. I love you. I really do. But I told you so already.”

A skip in the pulse under him.

“I guess I’m an idiot too.” Eddy’s hands started roaming his back, pressing him further into him. “I wasn’t sure you meant it like that. I was hoping though, so I kept giving you hints. I was… I was hoping you would do something, make a move. You’re always the one to make a move. Guess I wasn’t wrong in the end.”

“That kiss definitely wasn’t planned.”

“I know. That’s what I was counting on; your impulsivity.”

“Or, instead of trying to be a brilliant mastermind orchestrating our getting together, you could have just done something yourself.”

“You know that’s not me.”

“Yeah,” he chuckled. 

Silence fell, just Eddy’s hands moving on him in slow caresses, his nose nudging his hair, and Brett just realized how free he was now. Free to say what he thought, free to act on his desires, free to have and to give.

“So. Can I kiss you again now?”

“Oh yeah. You definitely don’t need to ask. Please do. I was too surprised to really feel it the first time anyway.”

“Same!”

He grabbed him by the neck, and Eddy obligingly bent down, met him halfway, kissing so, so slowly. With so much care, brushing his lips like butterfly wings, fingers tracing his jaw. But Brett wanted to pull him down and make a mess of him. To bite his lip and tug his hair. To have him lose his breath and forget his name.

So he whispered in his ear; Eddy moaned low, and when Brett was done with him, much, much later, he hadn’t even crossed a quarter of the things he had fantasized about for the past six years.

*

“See? No sneezing, no rashes, no nothing.”

“Damn dude, those dogs are robots, they don’t even shed, that’s crazy!”

“Maybe you’re the robot, you don’t shed either.”

“What the fuck,” he choked out a laugh, giving up on trying to understand what went on in the head of his boyfriend. He kneeled on the floor of the living room. “Hey, come here Bumble Tea.”

The little terrier looked at him and cocked her head to the side, before trotting toward him.

“D’you think she recognizes her name already?”

“Nah, I think she just answers to the sound of my voice. Also, she’s so curious! I swear she’s sniffed all the rooms of the apartment already.”

“She’s so smart. That’s because I chose her.”

“Eddy, there were literally only two dogs to choose from.”

“I still chose the best one! And I found the kennel.”

“Yeah, Yeah.”

Eddy sat beside him on the floor, his hand caressing the top of Bumble Tea’s head. Still no sneezing, and no red on his skin, he observed.

“You cleared it up with the neighbor, yeah?”

“I told you so already, she agreed to watch over her when we’re touring. You really have no faith in me.”

“I can’t believe the only time you actually organize something from A to Z, it has to be the adoption of a fucking puppy.”

“Brett! Language! She can hear you,” Eddy gasped with mock offense, covering the ears of the terrier.

“She doesn’t even recognize her own name!” he laughed.

Eddy was progressively leaning his weight on him, and it reminded him of that time, three months ago, when he had come back with the lost dog. So he pushed him on the floor, just to hear him squeal indignantly then guffaw.

But this time, when _their_ puppy came up to lick at Eddy’s nose, he gently pushed her away to roll over his boyfriend, hands splayed over his cheekbones.

“Sorry Bumble Tea, this face is mine.”

And he swallowed his laugh in a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All credit for the name “Bumble Tea” goes to [Jonnayoly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jonnayoly/pseuds/Jonnayoly).
> 
> I had fun writing this, once again pure self indulgence, but if you liked it, don’t hesitate to leave a kudo or a comment :) I like knowing what kind of stories you appreciate.


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